Breakdown of Hálfsystir mín og hálfbróðir minn spiluðu saman í gær.
og
and
saman
together / on end (after a dative plural time noun)
spila
to play
minn
my (m, f, n: minn, mín, mitt)
í gær
yesterday
hálfbróðirinn
the half-brother
hálfsystirin
the half-sister
Questions & Answers about Hálfsystir mín og hálfbróðir minn spiluðu saman í gær.
Normally we add the definite article before a possessive pronoun, like bíllinn minn (my car). Why is there no article on hálfsystir or hálfbróðir?
This is a special rule for family members! When talking about close relatives, we usually use the bare noun without the definite article before the possessive pronoun. That is why we say hálfsystir mín instead of hálfsystirin mín.
Why does the word for my change from mín to minn?
Possessive pronouns must match the gender of the noun they describe. Hálfsystir is a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine form mín. Hálfbróðir is a masculine noun, so it takes the masculine form minn. Both are in the nominative case here because they are the subject of the sentence.
Why does the verb spiluðu end in -u?
The verb spila (to play) is in the past tense here. Because the subject is a compound plural (a sister and a brother together, which equals they), the verb takes the third-person plural past tense ending, making it spiluðu.
Could I use the verb leika instead of spila here?
It depends on how they are playing! Spila is generally used for playing board games, card games, sports, or musical instruments. If the siblings were young children playing with toys or playing make-believe, you would use leika instead.
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